Hospital bed footboard and clamp therefor



July 20, 1965 R. I. BOYER 3,195,151

HOSPITAL BED FOOTBOARD AND CLAMP THEREFOR Filed Feb. 25, 1962 3 Sheer.sSheet 1 INVE OR. @8854: Z 6076?} BY {5 Asia-w 204 July 20, 1965 R. 1. BOYER HOSPITAL BED FOOTBOARD AND CLAMP THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23, 1962 INVENTOR. P485544 1: Home,

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July 20, 1965 R. 1. BOYER 3,195,151

HOSPITAL BED FOOTBOARD AND CLAMP THEREFOR Filed Feb. 23, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR Passau Z as 2,

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United States Patent 3,195,151 HQSPETAL BED FOGTEGARD AND CLAMP THEREFGR Russell H. Boyer, 2363 Franklin, olumbus, End. Filed Feb. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 175,199 ll Gaines. (61. -84)) This application is a continuation-in-part application of my copending application Serial No. 798,704, filed March ll, 1959, now Patent No. 3,036,639.

This invention relates to a footboard assembly for a hospital bed, and to clamp for mounting said footboard assembly and other articles on a hospital bed.

It is an object of my invention to provide a footboard assembly which can be removably mounted on a hospital bed, which can be easily manipulated into a plurality of positions of adjustment, and which will support a patients feet in the desired position. It is a further object of my invention to provide a clamp which can be readily mounted on a hospital bed for supporting said footboard assembly thereon, which can accommodate and support various other articles on said bed, and which can be mounted on said bed in a plurality of positions of adjustment.

In the conventional construction of a hospital bed, the mattress is supported on a plurality of thin metal slats connected to springs mounted on a rectangularly shaped frame formed from lengths of angle iron. In carrying out my invention in its preferred form, I provide a pair of clamps mountable on the bed frame, with each of said clamps comprising an elongated bracket having an inwardly projecting lip. A pair of laterally spaced arms project inwardly from said bracket above said lip and serve as guides for a slide interposed between the arms and provided with a hooked inwardly presented edge. Said slide is rotatably carried on an adjusting screw extending through the bracket, whereby upon rotation of said screw to move said slide outwardly toward th bracket, the edges of the angle iron frame are thus bindingly gripped between said lip and the hooked inner end of the slide for mounting the clamp on said frame. A stud projects upwardly from the bracket for supporting accessory articles, such as my footboard assembly, on the clamp.

Said footboard assembly comprises an elongated panel having brackets at each of its ends operatively connected to sleeves received on a pair of tubular supports. Each of said tubular supports extends downwardly from the panel with its lower end disposed over and supported on the stud of one of the clamps mounted on each side of the bed. Conveniently, a transversely extending member interconnects and cross-braces the upper ends of the tubular supports and, by being disposed above the panel, said member further serves as a means for supporting a blanket above and out of contact with the patients feet supported against the panel. One or more padded blocks are operatively connected to the panel and are disposed in abutting engagement with the front panel face to support the patients feet. Said blocks are laterally and angularly adjustable relative to the panel and thus support the patients feet in the desired position against said panel.

Other objects and features of my invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a clamp and footboard assembly embodying my invention, and showing said assembly and clamp mounted on a bed.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear view of the clamp and footboard assembly shown in FIG. 1, but with portions thereof being broken away;

3,l5,l5l Patented July 20, 1965 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the clamp and footboard assembly shown in FIG. 1',

RIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the clamp shown in FIG. 1;

PEG. 5 is a plan view of the clamp shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation of the clamp shown in FIG. 4, but with the adjusting knob shown in phantom;

FIG. '7 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line '77 of FIG. 8, and showing means for adjusting the tilt of the fo-otboard;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 99 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line Itll of FIG. 9, but with portions being broken away; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 1l11 of FIG. 3.

As illustrated, my invention contemplates a footboard assembly 18 for a hospital bed and mounted on said bed by a pair of clamps 12 which, if desired, may be employed for mounting other accessory articles on said bed. Hospital beds conventionally employ rectangularly shaped frame constructions formed from interconnected lengths of angle ir-on having pairs of arms 13 and 14. As shown, a plurality of spaced holes are formed in the horizontally disposed arm 13 of the frame to receive the ends of springs 15 which are connected at their opposite ends to thin metal slats 16 adapted to support a mattress 18.

My clamp 12 comprises an elongated bracket 19 having an inwardly projecting lip 29 at its lower end, said lip constituting a lower transversely extending shoulder 22 and an upper transversely extending shoulder 24 disposed outwardly of the shoulder 22. A ring 25 is swingably mounted on the lip 20 and has a thickness approximating the horizontal depth of the shoulder 24. A pair of laterally spaced arms 26 project inwardly from the bracket 19 substantially above the upper lip shoulder 24 and serve as guides for a slide 27 having a base 28 from which a pair of laterally spaced fingers 29 project; the ends of each of said fingers being hooked downwardly and out wardly, as at 36.

To support and control the positioning of the slide 27, an adjusting screw 31 extendsthrough the bracket 19 and is received in the slide base 28. The screw 31, which is slidably carried in an opening in the bracket 19 and threadably carried in an opening in the slide base 23, has a hand wheel 32 rigidly mounted on its outer end and a nut 33 mounted on its inwardly presented end, said nut retaining the slide 27 on said screw.

Thus, to mount the clamp 12 on the legs 13 and 14 of the bed frame, the lip shoulder 22 is disposed under the frame arm 14 and the screw 31 is rotated to move th slide 27 outwardly between the arms 26 toward the bracket 19. Such rotation of the screw 31, draws the hub 34 of the hand wheel 32 against the outwardly presented face of the bracket 19 and causes the hooked ends 30 of the slide fingers 29 received over the inwardly presented edge of the bed frame arm 13 to bindingly retain the outer face of the beam arm 14 against the upper end of the upwardly swung ring 25, as shown in full lines in FIG. 4. The lower faces of the slide 27 and arms 26 are generally coplanar and abut the upper face of the frame arm 13, and the lower edge of the frame arm 14 is disposed in abutting engagement with the lip shoulder 22 to thus prevent the clamp from being bindingly retained on said frame in a cocked position.

Most hospital beds are constructed with angle iron made from one of two different sizes. The frame shown in full lines in FIG. 4 is a frame employing arms 13 and.

14 of a longer length. In using my clamp with frames constructed from angle iron having shorter arms 13 and 14 such as is indicated by the dotted lines, the ring 25 is swung downwardly into its dotted line position and the bottom edge of the arm 14 is supported on the upper lip shoulder 24-. In using my clamp with such frames having shorter arms 13 and 14, the slide 27 will grip the arm 13 in the manner previously described, but the outwardly presented face of the arm 14 will abut the inwardly presented face of the bracket 19 and the lower edge of said arm is supported on the lip shoulder 24.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lateral spacing between the slide fingers 29permits the clamp to be mounted on the bed frame in the plane of one of the springs 15. Frequently on such hospital beds, the heads of rivets 35 used to mount tilting mechanisms on the bed frame project outwardly from the frame arms 14, and to lessen the possibility of said rivets holding the bracket 19 and lip 20 out of engagement with the frame leg 14, the lateral edges of the bracket 19 are recessed, as at 36. Thus the clamp 12 may be disposed at a pluralityof positions along the bed frame irrespective of the positionings of the springs 15 and the rivets 35.

To support an accessory article, such as my footboard assembly, on the clamp 12 and thus on the bed to which said clamp is secured, the upper end of the bracket 19 is provided with an upwardly open socket 38 in which an upwardly projecting stud 39 is rigidly mounted. Conveniently, a recess is formed in the stud 39 adjacent its upper end, and a snap ring 4% is disposed in said recess for releasably retaining an article on said stud.

As shown in the drawings, my invention contemplates the use of a footboard assembly It? in association with a pair of the clamps 12, which footboard assembly is supported on the bed in a plurality of adjustable positions. In using my footboard 10 with the clamps 12, I mount a pair of saidclamps on opposite sides of the bed frame in the desired locations with their studs 39 projecting upwardly. The footboard assembly is mounted on the clamps 12 by a pair of tubular supports 42 having upper and lower stretches 44 and 46 which are axially offset from each other by transverse'stretches 47. The supports 42 are braced and interconnected at their upper ends by a U-shaped length of tubing 48 having its ends received in the upper ends of the supports 42 and releasably connected thereto by bolts 59. As shown in FIG. 11, the openings formed in the upper support stretches 44 for the reception of the bolts have substantially larger diameters than said bolts to thus permit the pair of supports 42 to be rotated with respect to the tubing 48 for using the footboard assembly with beds of different widths.

The actual footboard constitutes an elongated board or panel 54 having brackets 56 mounted on its rear face at its opposed ends and provided with rearwardly projecting flanges 57. A bolt 58 fixedly mounted in eachfiange 57 projects outwardly therefrom through an opening in a plate 60 mounted on an elongated sleeve 62 slidably carried on the upper stretch 44 on one of the supports 42 between the bolt 50 and a plurality of bosses 61 formed on said upper stretch 44 adjacent its lower end. The plate 60 has a pair of ribs 65 extending radially outwardly from its bolt-receiving opening which are releasably retained in locking engagement with pairs of opposed radially extending grooves 63 formed in the flange 57 by a threaded knob 64 received on the bolt 58 and adapted to be drawn up against the outwardly presented face of the plate 60. Thus, loosening of the knob 64 permits the ribs 65 and grooves 63 to be unlocked so that the footboard 54 may be tilted with respect to the mattress 18 about the axis of the bolts 58.

- Patients afflicted with certain types of paralysis suffer from a condition known as foot-drop in which the patients feet drop downwardly and laterally outwardly when the patient is lying on his back. It has been found that if the patients feet can be supported in gradually decreasing angles of divergence to a point where they are supported in their normal upright position, the time of cure can be greatly reduced. To this end, I provide one or more padded blocks 7% angularly adjustable with respect to the upper face of the mattress 13 and disposed against the front face of the board 54. Each of the blocks 70 is connected at its upper end to a U-shaped bracket 72, with the rearwardly disposed leg of said bracket being operatively connected to a pairof jaws 73 and '74 for releasably gripping a transversely extending length of metal-tubing 76 mounted on the brackets 5'6. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the forwardly presented jaw 73 is provided with a lower, rearwardly open, semi-cylindrical portion 77 and is rigidly connected to a rearwardly extending bolt 78 projecting through aligned openings formed in the jaw '74 and rear leg of the bracket 72. The jaw 74 is provided at its lower end with a forwardly open, semi-cylindrical portion 33 which cooperates with the portion 77 of the jaw '73 to grip the tubing 76. An enlarged plate 82 is rigidly mounted on the jaw 74 and is provided with a plurality of radially extending grooves 83 lockingly engageable with a pair of forwardly directed ribs 84. on the rear leg of the bracket 72 to thus rigidly retain the jaws 73 and 74 in binding engagement with the bracket 72 and tubing 76 when a knob 36 is drawn up on the bolt 78. Thus, upon loosening of the knob 86, the jaws 73 and 74 are released from the tubing 76 and the blocks 70 may be slid transversely across the front face of the panel 54. Also, upon loosening of the knob 86, the jaws 73 and 74 may be rotated with respect to the bracket 72'and the axis of the tubing 76 to permit the block 70 to be tilted with respect to the board 5d and upper face of the mattress 18, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. Desirably, the upper end of the jaw 73 is hooked over the upper end of the jaw 74, as at 87, so that both of said jaws are rotatable as a unit about the axis of the bolt v'78.

In using the block 70 for the treatment of a patient having foot-drop, the angle of tilt of the panel 54 is adjusted to dispose the panel 54 in a position normal to the plane of the mat-tress 18; A pair of the blocks 70 are then disposed in the desired lateral and angular positions with respect to the panel 54 to engage the outer edges of the patients feet and support said feet at the desired angle of divergence. During the course of treatment, the blocks 75 are gradually tilted toward a final upright position normal to the plane of the mattress 18 to thus support a patients feet in their normal upright position. Depending upon the treatment prescribed, one block 7% may be used in association with each foot of the patient, or a pair of said blocks may be used in association with each foot, in which case the foot is cradled between a pair of adjacent blocks .70. It will be understood, that the transversely extending tubing 48 in addition to interconnecting the'supports 42, also serves to retain the blankets on the bed in an elevated position above the patients feet supported against the panel 54.

V I claim:

' 1. In a footboard assembly for a bed having a frame of L-shaped cross-section, the combination, comprising (a) an elongated panel extending transversely of the bed,

(b) a first member extending across the rear face of said panel,

, (c) one or more padded blocks abutting the front face of said panel,

(d) clamping means slidably and rotatably intercom necting said blocks and said first member whereby said blocks are adjustably movable across the entire front face of said panel and adjustably swingable with respect to said panel,

(e) bracket means mounted on the opposed ends of said panel and swingably connected on an axis'transverse to the bed to apair of elongated sleeves disposed laterally outwardly from the ends of said panel,

(f) a pair of tubular supports each of which has upper and lower stretches axially offset from each other with the upper stretch of each received in one of said pair of sleeves,

(g) a second member interconnecting the upper ends of said supports above said panel,

(h) a pair of clamps along the opposed sides of the bed frame and each, comprising (i) an upstanding stud received in the lower stretch of one of said tubular supports,

(j) an elongated bracket rigid with said stud and having an inwardly projecting lip received under the lower edge of said bed frame,

(k) a pair of laterally spaced arms projecting inwardly from said bracket above said lip and abutting the upper face of said bed frame,

(1) an adjusting screw extending through said bracket,

and

(m) a slide having an inwardly disposed hooked end interposed between said pair of arms guiding the movement of said slide,

(11) said slide being rotatably carried on said screw whereby upon rotation of said screw to move said slide outwardly toward said bracket said hooked end of said slide will engage the inner edge of said bed frame and said frame will be bindingly retained between said hooked end and said bracket and lip.

2. A clamp, comprising (a) an elongated bracket having a lip on its inwardly presented face and extending the length thereof,

(b) a pair of laterally spaced arms on said inwardly presented bracket face within the lateral extent of said lip,

(c) an adjusting screw extending through said bracket,

(d) a slide having a hooked inwardly presented end and interposed between a pair of arms guiding the movements of said slide,

(e) said slide being rotatably carried on said screw whereby upon rotation of said screw to move said slide outwardly toward said bracket said lip and said hooked end of said slide will bindingly grip the edges of an L-shaped object, and

(f) means projecting upwardly from said bracket for supporting an article on the clamp.

3. A clamp as set forth in claim 2 in which (a) said hooked end of said slide comprises a pair of laterally spaced hooked fingers, and

(b) the opposed lateral edges of said bracket are recessed inwardly between said lip and said pair of arms.

4. A clamp, comprising (a) an elongated bracket having a lip on the lower end of its inwardly presented face,

(b) a pair of laterally spaced arms rigid with and projecting inwardly from said inwardly presented bracket face above said lip within the lateral extent of said lip,

(c) an adjusting screw extending through said bracket,

(d) a slide having a hooked inwardly presented end and interposed between said pair of arms guiding the movement of said slide,

(e) said slide having its lower face coplanar with the lower faces of said arms and being rotatably carried on said screw whereby upon rotation of said screw to move said slide outward toward said bracket said lip and said hooked end of said slide will bindingly grip the edges of an L-shaped object, and

(f) means projecting upwardly from said bracket for supporting an article on the clamp.

5. A clamp, comprising (a) an elongated bracket having a lip on the lower end of its inwardly presented face,

(b) a pair of laterally spaced arms rigid with and projecting inwardly from said inwardly presented bracket face above said lip,

(c) an adjusting screw extending through said bracket,

(d) a slide interposed between said pair of arms having a hooked inwardly presented end,

(e) said slide having its lower face coplanar with the lower faces of said arms and being rotatably carried on said screw whereby upon rotation of said screw to move said slide outward toward said bracket said lip and said hooked end of said slide will bindingly grip the edges of an L-shaped object,

(f) means projecting upwardly from said bracket for supporting an article on the clamp,

(g) said lip comprising a pair of vertically and horizontally spaced shoulders selectively receivable against one of the edges of said L-shaped object, and

(h) a ring is swingably mounted on said bracket for movement between a lowered position when the upper of said shoulders is received against said one edge of said L-shaped object and said bracket and arms abut the outer faces of said object and a raised position when the lower of said shoulders is received against said one edge of said L-shaped object and said arms and said ring abut the outer faces of said object.

6. A clamp as set forth in claim 5 in which (a) said ring has a thickness approximating the horizontal depth of said upper shoulder.

7. A clamp, comp-rising (a) an elongated bracket having a lip on its inwardly presented face,

(b) a pair of laterally spaced arms on said inwardly presented bracket face within the lateral extent of said lip,

. (c) anadjusting screw extending through bracket and provided with stop means on its inner end and a handwheel on its opposite end,

(d) a slide having a hooked inwardly presented end and interposed between said pair of arms guiding the movements of said slide,

(e) said adjusting screw being slidably received in said bracket and threadably received in said slide whereby upon rotation of said screw to move said slide outwardly toward said handwheel said lip and said hooked end of said slide will bindingly grip the edges of an L-shaped object and said handwheel will abut the outwardly presented face of the bracket, and

(f) means projecting upwardly from said bracket for supporting an article on the clamp.

8. In a footboard assembly for a bed, the combination,

comprising (a) a pair of clamps mounted on the opposed sides of the bed,

(b) an elongated panel adapted to extend transversely of the bed,

(c) bracket means mounted on the opposed ends of said panel and operatively connected to a pair of elongated sleeves disposed laterally outwardly from the ends of said panel,

(d) a pair of tubular supports at each end of the panel having their lower ends connected to said clamps and having their upper portions received in said sleeves to support said panel on the bed on said clamps,

(e) said sleeves being swingably connected to said bracket means on a horizontally disposed axis transverse to the bed, whereby said panel is angularly adjustable with respect to the upper face of a mattress on said bed, and

(f) a transversely extending member interconnecting the rlipper ends of said tubular supports above said pane t 9. In a footboard assembly for a bed, the combination, comprising (a) a pair of clamps mounted on the opposed sides of the bed,

(b) an elongated panel adapted to extend transversely of the bed, 7

(c) bracket'means mounted on the opposed ends of said panel and operatively connected to a pair of elongated sleeves disposed laterally outwardly from the ends of said' panel,

((1) a transversely extending first member mounted on the rear face of said panel and spaced therefrom,

(e) one ormore padded blocks abutting the front I face of said panel and slidably and rotatably connected to said first member for adjustably positioning said blocks across the entire front face of said panel, 7

(f) a pair of tubular supports at each end of the panel having their lower ends connected to said clamps and having their upper portions received in said sleeves to support said panel on the bed on said clamps, a

(g) said sleeves being swingably connected to said bracket means on a horizontally disposed axis transverse to the bed, whereby said panelis angularly adjustable with respect to the upper face of a mattress on said bed, and t (h) a transversely extending second member interconnecting the upper ends of said tubular-supports above said panel.

10. In a footboard assembly for a bed, the combination, comprising .(a) apair of clamps mounted on the opposed sides of the bed,

(b) an elongated panel adapted to extend transversely of the bed, i a

(c) bracket means mounted on the opposed ends of said panel and operatively connected to a pair of elongated sleeves disposed laterally'outwardly from the ends of said panel, t

(d) a transversely extending first member mounted onlthe rear face of said panel and spaced therefrom,

(e) one or more paddedblocks slidably and rotatably mounted on said first member and abutting the front face of said panel,

.(f) a pair of tubular supportsat each end of the panel having their lower ends connected to said clamps and having their upper portions received in said sleeves to support said panel on the bed on said clamps, t t

(g) said sleeves being swingably connected to said bracket means on a horizontally disposed axis, whereby said panel is angularly' adjustable with respect to the upper face of a mattress on'sa-id bed, and

(h) a transversely extending second member interconnecting the upper ends of said tubular supports 7 above said panel, I

(i) each of said blocks being slidably and rotatably connected to said first member by a clamp comprising,

(j) a downwardly open U-shaped bracket having one of its legs, rigidly connected to said block and its other leg provided with an opening interposed between a pair of forwardly, projecting ribs, 7

(k) a set screw extending through saidtopening in said other leg and operatively connected to a pair of jaws adapted to grip said first member upon their movement toward said other leg by rotation of said a set screw, and

(1) one of said jaws having a plurality of radially extending grooves receivable over said ribs upon movement of said jaws to grip said first member.

11. In afootboard assembly for a bed, the combination, comprising (a) a pair of clamps mounted on the opposed sides of the bed,

(b) an elongated panel adapted to extend transversely of the bed,

(c) bracket means mounted on the opposed ends of said panel and operatively connected to a pair of elongated sleevesdisposed laterally outwardly from the ends of said panel,

(d) a pair of tubular supports at opposed endsof the panel having their lower ends connected to said clamps and having their upper portions received in said sleeves to support said panel on the bed on said clamps,

(e) means for adjustably swinging said panel relative to said supports about a transverse horizontal axis, and V (f) one or more padded blocks abutting the front face of said panel and operatively connected thereto for lateral and rotational adjustment across the entire front face of said panel.

References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/57 Sweden.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

11. IN A FOOTBOARD ASSEMBLY FOR A BED, THE COMBINATION, COMPRISING (A) A PAIR OF CLAMPS MOUNTED ON THE OPPOSED SIDES OF THE BED, (B) AN ELONGATED PANEL ADAPTED TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY OF THE BED, (C) BRACKET MEANS MOUNTED ON THE OPPOSED ENDS OF SAID PANEL AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO A PAIR OF ELONGATED SLEEVES DISPOSED LATERALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE ENDS OF SAID PANEL, (D) A PAIR OF TUBULAR SUPPORTS AT OPPOSED ENDS OF THE PANEL HAVING THEIR LOWER ENDS CONNECTED TO SAID CLAMPS AND HAVING THEIR UPPER PORTIONS RECEIVED IN SAID SLEEVES TO SUPPORT SAID PANEL ON THE BED ON SAID CLAMPS, (E) MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY SWINGING SAID PANEL RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORTS ABOUT A TRANSVERSE HORIZONTAL AXIS, AND (F) ONE OR MORE PADDED BLOCKS ABUTTING THE FRONT FACE OF SAID PANEL AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED THERETO FOR LATERAL AND ROTATIONAL ADJUSTMENT ACROSS THE ENTIRE FRONT FACE OF SAID PANEL. 